Asking for opinions on my Marlin model 90

[B. Dudley]

Yeah, some makers have use a steel that does not hot blue well. A lot of savage/stevens guns are like that too.
Marlin 90 frames take bone charcoal case colors very nicely. I have had one done years ago.

In regards to “value”… one would generally be hard pressed to ever see a 12g model 90 sell for more than $800-900. This one obviously has a LOT of work put into it. But it would mean someone wanting to pay for that over what the gun is. What that amount COULD be, I cannot say.